15 Self-Made Americans on Forbes List Overcame Periods of Homelessness

Fifteen people on the Forbes list of 250 Greatest Self-Made Americans experienced extended periods of housing instability before building substantial wealth. The list includes actors, athletes, musicians, and entrepreneurs whose careers later generated significant earnings.

Tyler Perry invested his $12,000 life savings in a 1992 play that drew 30 attendees. After the production failed, he lived in his Geo Metro for three months. Perry later created the Madea film series and opened Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta in 2019.

James missed 83 days of fourth grade while moving between temporary housing with his mother. John Paul DeJoria collected bottles for income as a single father and later slept in his car while launching John Paul Mitchell Systems in 1980 with $700. Yvon Chouinard lived out of his vehicle while selling climbing equipment from his trunk.

Whoopi Goldberg hosted the first Comic Relief telethon in 1986 to support homeless services. Chris Gardner slept in San Francisco shelters and churches with his son during the 1980s before founding Gardner Rich & Co. Dwayne Johnson had $7 when he returned to Miami after being cut from a Canadian football team.

Jewel performed in bars as a teenager after moving out at age 15 and living in her car. Hilary Swank and her mother stayed in their vehicle for several weeks upon arriving in Los Angeles in 1990 with $75. Al Pacino slept in theaters and storefronts while seeking acting work.

Cher lived at a friend's house in Los Angeles after dropping out of high school. John Hope Bryant parked his Jeep near LAX airport for six months at age 18. Sylvester Stallone spent four nights at the Port Authority Bus Terminal after returning to New York in 1969.

Several individuals later supported housing programs. DeJoria donated funds for homeless housing in Austin. Gardner testified at the United Nations in 2020 on homelessness solutions. Perry placed a replica of his former car at the entrance to his Atlanta studio.